Automatic fuel-feed for automobile-engines.



F. A. HUENE.

AUTOMATFC FUEL FEED FOR AUTOMOBILE ENGINES.

APPLICATiON FILED MAR. 14. 1917.

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EDWARD 'h. I-IU'EHE, OF LOS ANGELES, GAIJIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC FUEL-FEED FOE? AUTOMOBILE ENGINES.

specification of Letters ream. Patented Jan 22, 191@.

Application filed. March 14, 1917. serial .rlo. L847.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWARD ddimann, a citizen of the United States, residing at Les Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and apparatus therefor.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide an improved. apparatus for corn tinuously supplying liquid fuel to the can bureter of an internal-combustion engine, irrespective of the relative position of the fuel tank in relation to said carbureter and also of the inclination to which the engine and tank are disposed. Y

Another object of this invention i to pro-- vide an improved fuel supply apparatus which operates positively and mechanically without possibility of the various operating elements becoming incfl'ective.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus having few Working parts, all of which are assembled in a unitary manner and by the manipulation of a single locking member.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the above class, the parts of which are so constructed as to be readily accessible, by knocking down, in case foreign substances within the liquid fuel should become deposited upon, the valve seats and surfaces of the movable members.

Another object of this invention is to pr0- vide an improved apparatus which is not affected by the-quantity of fuel within the liquid fuel reservoir or the pressure exerted by the head of the fuel upon its various valve members.

rl.1iother object of this invention is to provide anumproved apparatus which will in sure that a large discharge of liquid fuel will be permitted to pass from the fuel reservoir to the c-arburcter without being alfec'ted by the action of uncertain operating valves, as

is the case in most fuel feed systems of present construction.

Another object of this invention is to pro videan improved apparatus which will act positively either standing in a vertical plane or inclined at; an angle Another objectof this invention is to pro vide an improved apparatus which will be actuated directly and positively by the suction of the engine and will thereby open and close its valve positively.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved fuel control apparatus which will insure that the liquid fuel flow ing from the main supply tank will not overflow in the vacuum or gravity tank.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus of the above class which is simpler in. its construction than. most of the systems now in use upon motor vehicles and which may be inexpcnsively manufactured.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatical view illustrating an internal-combustion engine, a liquid fuel reservoir and the fuel upply system with which the present invention is concerned.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in vertical transverse section as seen along the center of the vacuum tank and particularly discloses the vital elements of the invention and their 0perative relation to each other.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation as seen along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 illustrating the manner in which the float is mov ably supported within the vacuum tank.

I Referring more particularly to the draw lugs, 10 ndicates an internal-com ustion engine which is supplied with gaseo s fuel by an intake manifold 11 in communication gine, the earbureter and the fuel reservoir.

are immaterial and that the present invention is particularly concerned with the vacuum tank '14 and the manner in which.

it operates.

This tank is formed with an outer cylindrical shell 17 and an, inner cylindrical shell 50 having lower-end walls 18 and 51,

respectively 7 formed integral. with their sides. -The upperopened ends of theshclls are normally closed by means of a removable cap 19, which fits over the end of the shells and is formed with a flange adapted to overlap the side wall of the outer shell 17. A packing gasket is interposed between the cap a d. th inner shell 50 in a. manner to seal the shell in an air-tight condition, except for the valve orifices hereinafter mentioned. The core or valve frame 19' is T- shaped at its upper end, the alined legs 15 and 21".being tapped to receive the pipes 15 and 21. tank 16 and the pipe 21 connects to the manifold 11. The side leg 27' of the valve frame 19 is inserted downwardly through the center of the cap 19 and has a shoulder against which the cap fits and has a screwthreaded enlargement 28 fitting closely in the cap opening and a jam-nut 29 presses the cap against the shoulder. The leg 27 s. is cored to form the suction chamber 26 and the passage or bore 27.- The pipe 15 communicates with a valve opening within which a valve ball 23 is mounted and adapted to seat. A passage-way 21 extends downwardly through the core 19 and permits liquid fuel from the supply pipe 15 to pass into the suction chamber 26 of the core when the valve ball 23 is up. A valve seat 25 is formed within the opposite side of the core and is fitted with a conical valve member. 26, with a relatively small area at its .seat 25 and a relatively large head loosely fitting within the bore above said seat 25, adapted to control the suction within pipe 21, as it acts upon the vacuum chamber 26 of the core. This valve member 26 is in communication with a longitudinally extending bore 2? throughout the length of which'a valve stem '28 extends. The valve stem 28 is mounted at its upper end within a weight 29 which acts to hold it in its lowermost position and to cause its head 30 to normally stand away. from the valve seat 31 formed at the lower terminating end of the The upper end of this valve stem is also fitted with a lifting finger 32 which extends upwardly througl-i the passage-way 2 1 and acts to lift the ball 23. The stem of the conical valve 26 also secured at the upper end of the valve stem and it will thus be seen that upward nioven'ient of thr stem will sinnihain-ously open the valve controlling the liquid l'uel inlet pipe 15 and the suction pipe 21. as well as close the valve opening at the lower end of the core.

The lower end of the leg 27 extends through the center of the bottom 51 and the nlitf33 [its against the inner face of the bottom. This chamber is composed of the inner shell 50. adapted to be telescoped within the outer case 17, and the cap 19. As here shown. the length of the chan'il'n r 3% is sultstantially, one-half of the outer casing. oat member 35 is adapted to-be incloscd Within the chamber casing and is provided to The pipe 15 connects to the supply reciprocate upon the cylindrical body portion of the core. This float is adapted to control the movement of the valve stem it) and the valves actuated thereby by means of lifting levers and 37. The lovers are pivoted upon diametrically opposite sides of the core and extend in through the side walls of the suction chamber 26' to engage recesses formed in the sides 'of the weight 29. The outer ends of the lifting levers pass through slotted openings 38 formed verti cally of float brackets 39 and 10. These brackets are fixed to the top of the float 35 and are adapted to be raised and lowered therewith.

The portion of the casing 17 beneath the float chamber 34 is provided to form a fuel. basin 41, vented to atmosphere at 49. The inflow of fuel is controlled to this basin by means of the discharge valve 30 which permits the liquid fuel from the float chamber to pass in through a slotted opening 42 in the side of the valve core and downthrough the central bore 27 through openings 13 in the opposite sides of an extension frame 4-1.

This tube is provided with a threaded end which is adapted to beset-owed up over the lower end of the core stern and secure the core and float chamber in position. A series of outlet openings 15 are formed at the lower end of the extension frame 44. and in communication with a bore 46 leading from the tube. This bore communicates directly -with the feed pipe 13 leading tothe carbure'ter. The jam nut 44 forms a head upon the extension frame 44 and jams the bottom 51 against the nut- 33 and jams the casing against the gasket 20 and the gasket against the cap 19, thereby completin; the vacuum feed device, making it self-contained, easily assembled and easily knocked down.

The shell 17 fits loosely around tho shell 50 and against the gasket 20. The extension frame 14- extcnds through the center of the bottom 18 of the shell 17, the nut 17 fits against the inner face of the bottom 18 and the nut 48 jams the bottom 18 against tinuut l7 and the shell 17 against the gasket :40 and the gasket against the cap 19. The pipe 13 connects the lower end 01" the exten- -sion frame it to the carburetor 12.

The shell 17. when supplied with fuel. feeds the carburetor by gravity in the usual way. The problem is to keep the gravity tank, 17 supplied.

In operation, the apparatus is set up, as hown in Fig. l of the drawings. When thir-ngino is set in motion. suction will be induced along the suction pipe 21 and also through the carburetor 12. At the interval- ;u which the suction has taken place. the lloat 37 is in its lowermost position within the float chamber 31 and the lifting levers 36 and 37 will be in a position to hold the valve stem 28 upwardly f This will insure nuances that the lifting linger 32 will raise the valve hall 23 from its seat and the small valve 26 will lift from. its seat, simultaneously-and "that the valve member 30 will be drawn to its seat 31. As the suction. of the engine acts in the direction indicated by the arrow -u-'in the drawings, the suction chamber 26 will be affected and li uid fuel will be positively drawn from t e reservoir 16 continuation of the suction stroke of the ongine the valve member 30 will be held against its seat, due to the atmospheric pressure upon the bottom of the valve member,

which overcomes the weight of the valve stem. As the liquid fuel is drawn into the float chamber 34, the float will rise.

When the float has risen to a point near the top of the float chan iber the brackets I mounted upon the float will be raised up- Wardly and the lower walls of slots 38 will contact the lifting levers 36 and 37 in a manner to permit the valve stem to be moved downwardly. -When the buoyancy of the float overcomes the atmospheric pressure within I the basin 41 and against the valve member 30, thevalve member 26 and the valve ball 23 will suddenly and. simultaneously assume their seated positions and the valve member 30 will be drawn downwardly from its seat.

This will permit air in the fuel basin to flow W place a corresponding volume of liquid fuel upwardly through the valve seat and disinthe. float chamber. This fuel will gravi- Jtate through said valve 30 into the fuel basin ell. Onaccount of the seated position oft valve 23 durmg this period 110 fuel can pass to float chamber $l should main sup ly' tank 16 be raised to a position where tuel would otherwise flow to and through said "float chamber to said fuel basin until it. ver.

flowed at said atmospheric vent- 49. The apparatus is designed so thatthe volume of liquid fuel passing from the float chamber 34 to the fuel basin ll will always be in excess of the demands made by the carbureter of the engine. When the fuel basin is filled,

- the'valve member 30v and its seat will be submerged. This condition will'eaist until the carburetor has drawn all sulllcient fuel from charge strokeoi the float chamber, as pro.

viously described.

It will be understood that at the moment when the buoyancy of the float 35 overcomes the atmospheric pressure upon the valve 30,- v

the valve 26 will be held firmly upon its seat and as the level of fuel recedes within the float chamber theweight of the valve 30, stem 28, weight 29, valve 26, and litter 32 will be suliiclent to oppose the eliectivesuc: tion within the suction tube 21. When the fuel lcvel'in float chamber 34: has receded to a. point which permits the top Wall of slots 58, in the bracnets 39 and 40,10 contact lilting levers 36 and 37, valve 26 will be slightly lifted oil, its seat 25. Suction through pipe 21 now draws air forcibly around the enlarged head of valve 26 and instantly and positively-fully opens valves and 26 and closes valve 30, whereupon the cycle of operation heretofore described is repeated.

lit will thus be seen that the liquid fuel teed apparatus here provided is positive in opera'tlon throughout and that the movable parts are not liable to become inoperative or the supply of fuel delivered to the car bureter decreased, due to normal conditions of the apparatus.

While l have shown the preferred con struction of my automatic fuel feed apparatus for automobile engines as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes in the combination, construction and arrangement of. parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In an automatic fuel feed for internal combustion engines, an outer cylindrical cylindrical shell, a gasket fitting against the open end of the inner cylindrical shell and against the open end of the outer shell, a cap fitting against the gasket, a valve frame having two horizontal legs, and a side leg extending downwardly through the center of the cap and fixed therein and extendin through the bottom of the innercylindrica shell and extending through the bottom of the outer cylindrical shell; there being nuts to .tix the leg in the bottom of the inner c lindrical shell and nuts to fix the is in he bottom of the outer c lindrical she 1 so as to draw the inner cylin rical shell against the gasket and draw the outer cylindrical shell against the gasket; means for leading liquid fuel through one of the horizontal legs to the inner cylindrical shell, means for connecting the other horizontal leg to the engine manifold, and float controlled valve means in the inner cylindrical shell for regulatiug theflow of fuel under the suction of the engine.

2. In an automatic fuel feed for internal combustion engines, a shell normally open at the top and closed at the bottom, a gasket against the open end, a cap fitting against the gasket, a valve frame inserted downwlltu wardly through the cap against a shoulder, a lock nut upon the frame. and presslng the cap. against the shoulder, a'second nutconnection through the valve frame to they chamber within the shell; a connection be tween the valve frame and the engine manifold; there being a separate passage from the chamber in the shell to said manifold connection; float controlled valve mechanism within the shell for regulating the suction of the engine. and a check-valve in the fuel inlet passage to prevent flooding from the supply tank.

3. In an automatic fuel feed for internal combustion engines, an outer shell open at the top and closed at the bottom, an inner shell open at the. top and closed at the bot- .tom and mounted loosely within the upper end of the outer shell. a gasket against the open ends of the shells, a cap against the guiskct. a valve frame inserted through the cap and lived therein and extending through the bottom of the inner shell and fixed therein and extendingthrough the bottom of the outer shell and lixed therein so as to draw the shells against the gasket and the gasket against the cap; there being an inlet passage through the valve frame to the chamher in the inner shell, and an outlet passage through the valve frame from the chamber in the inner shell, and a passage from the chamber in the inner shell to the chamber in the outer shell; a float in the inner shell, a. valve controlling the outlet passage and operated by the float, asecond valve controlling ,the passage from the inner shell to the outer shell and operated to be open when the. first valve is closed and vice versa, and

a check-valve in the inlet passage to preventfiooding from a supply tank, and adapted to be open when the outlet valve is opened by the operation of the float.

4. In an automatic fuel feed for internal combustion engines, the combination with an engine provided with a fuel intake manifold and a gaseous fuel carburcter, of a liquid fuel supply tank, a vacuum feed chamber in communication with said supply tank and with said engine manifold, a gravity fuel basin in communication with said vacuum chamber ind said earburcter, means whereby liquid fuel may pass from said supply tank to said vacuum chamber, valves controlling the communicating passages between the supply tank, the en ine manifold, the

goes down the suction of the engine will draw fuel from the supply tank and discharge it t the gravity basin and so that when the basin is sufiiclently filled the suction of the engine will be shut off.

5. In an automatic fuel feed for internal combustion engines, the combination with an engine provided with a fuel intake manifold and a gaseous fuel carburetor, of a liquid fuel supply tank, a vacuum feed chamber in communication with said supply tank and with said engine manifold, a gravity fuel basin in communication with said vacuum chamber and said carburetor, means whereby liquid fuel may pass from said sup-- ply tank to said vacuum chamber, valves controlling the communicating passages between the supply tank, the engine manifold, the vacuum chamber, and the fuel basin, :1. float mounted within said vacuum chamber, means whereby said float, by reason of a changing liquid fuel level positively operates said valves; so that when the float goes down the suction of the engine will draw fuel from the supply tank and dis charge itto the gravity basin and so that when the basin is sufficiently filled the "suction of the engine will be shut off; there being a unitary assembly of said vacuum chamher and said fuel basin by means of a longitudinal core, and there being a unitary assembly of said valves within said core upon a common valvestem; means whereby said passa e from said fuel tank to said vacuum cham er closes simultaneously with the opening of the passage from said vacuum chamber to said fuel basin, and means whereby the suction from the engine manifold instantly, upon a slight opening of the passage between the vacuum chamber and the engine. manifold, draws the valve controlling said passage to its fully opened position, and the valve controlling the passage from the vacuum chamber to its fully closed position independent of the float mechanism.

ln it*. lllll()ll hereof l have signed my nunic to this specification EDWARD A. HUENE. 

